Senators Introduce Rural Postal Bill

The Rural Postal Act of 2015, introduced by Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) on July 9, aims to improve mail service by restoring stronger service standards and placing a two-year moratorium on the closure of additional mail processing plants. It also would make the requirement for six-day mail delivery permanent.  

“Mail is a critical lifeline in rural America, and all North Dakotans deserve access to high-quality mail delivery and service, regardless of where they live,” Sen. Heitkamp said when she introduced the bill (S. 1742). “But in too many places in North Dakota and rural America, that has not been happening…  I’ve heard from folks from across our state that they aren’t receiving their mail and prescription drugs on time, or their local post office has had its operating hours significantly reduced. That can’t be the way the Postal Service operates.”

“This bill reflects the deep frustration of postal customers throughout the country over diminished service, which is the result of postal management’s slash-and-burn strategy,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. 

“As Sen. Heitkamp noted when she introduced the bill, mail service has declined drastically since the Postal Service implemented new, lower service standards in January,” he said. USPS performance scores for the first three months of 2015 took a dramatic dive, despite the lower goals.

 “Delayed mail is a disgrace to the proud tradition of the U.S. Postal Service and to our mission: to provide prompt, efficient service to all areas of the country,” Dimondstein added. 

“Sen. Heitkamp’s bill, which was co-sponsored by Sen. John Tester (D-MT), Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), highlights the pressing need to address this unacceptable situation,” he said.

Legislative and Political Director John Marcotte said, “I would like to thank Sens. Heitkamp, Tester, McCaskill and Peters for championing several of APWU’s legislative priorities. While S. 1742 does not solve all the issues that are critical to restoring a vibrant Postal Service, issues important to rural America are important to postal workers.” 

“To truly improve service and stabilize the Postal Service, Congress must eliminate the mandate to pre-fund retiree health insurance costs 75 years in advance,” Dimondstein said.  The pre-funding requirement accounts for 85 percent of the Postal Service’s losses in recent years.

“To accomplish our goals, we will need to forge an alliance between postal unions, management, and major mailers to support a comprehensive postal reform bill that addresses this issue,” Dimondstein added.

“We are working diligently to build consensus around legislation that will correct the pre-funding fiasco and enable the Postal Service to innovate and thrive for generations to come.”